Latest news with #Scarrett
Yahoo
2 days ago
- Politics
- Yahoo
Ohio again examines funding police pensions
COLUMBUS, Ohio (WCMH) — A conversation about increasing contributions to the state's Police and Fire Pension Fund is starting up again at the Ohio Statehouse. 'Those men and women who have worked their whole lives to protect our communities, we should be protecting their pension and making sure that their pension is solid when they go to retire,' Rep. Thomas Hall (R-Madison Township) said. 'It's very easy to say that this will be the largest unfunded mandate placed on local governments that the legislature has proposed, and we hope that they rethink this,' Ohio Municipal League Executive Director Kent Scarrett said. Ohio Dems propose 'Love Makes a Family Week' to counter 'Natural Family Month' House Bill 280 is very similar to a bill introduced in the last general assembly. Under the bill, the amount of money a local government contributes to the fund would, within five years, increase from 19.5% to 24% for police officers. Firefighters are already at 24%. 'At a time when there are workforce shortages in the fire industry and in the police industry, this is a step that we feel like we could help people go to choose to come a police officer or a fire fighter,' Hall said. 'Knowing that they have stability, knowing that they have a stable pension system in place for when they go to retire one day.' While Hall said this is an important step, increasing that contribution amount does not come cheap. 'You often hear municipalities, they say, 'Well, we don't have the money for this, this is going to be a substantial strain on the local governments,'' Hall said. 'I think that they do have the money for that. I think that if first responders are truly a priority, they will have the funds necessary to approve this.' If enacted, the bill would cost local governments nearly $82 million statewide. Scarrett said that eventually, it is going to mean bad news for Ohioans. Intel executive explains why Ohio plant will need to fight for Intel's business 'It ultimately lands on the taxpayer,' he said. 'Weathering these increases on the existing constrained budgets would really force communities to look at reducing services, cutting services, possibly going to the voters and asking for a higher contribution in their tax rate.' Scarrett said local governments are 'already operating under tight budgets.' He said not only might this bill mean higher taxes or a reduction in services, but he also said that for some local governments, it could mean disbanding their police department altogether. 'Especially our smaller communities, villages that are really on a shoestring, they may not be able to support their police departments going forward with this unfunded mandate,' he said. Hall said, though, there is an extra layer to the bill that is important this time around. He noted new actuarial work, done by a third party, to explain why and how the increase should be made. 'I think that the goal with the third party was to say, 'Hey, it's not just the police and fire saying we want more money, or we need more money with our pensions,'' Hall said. 'We've been saying all along we need this, now we need the third party, who has run the numbers, who has tried to explain it on their side of things, the non-bias side of things.' Daughter searching for answers after father killed on motorcycle in South Linden hit-and-run 'There's no other pension fund that allows a board action to automatically increase the employer contribution because of a report that is initiated by the board,' Scarrett said. 'More egregious is there is no municipal representative on the [Ohio Police and Fire Fund] board.' What are the odds this bill passes? Last general assembly, it came close, but ultimately failed in the 11th hour. This year, Ohio House Speaker Matt Huffman (R-Lima) said it may not even make it to the Ohio Senate. He said, in general, he is opposed to the idea that the legislature should be working on a bill like this at all. 'I don't think legislatures, by and large, that meet every two years, determine budgets and do other things, should be and are really very capable of making 30-year decisions in a piece of legislation,' Huffman said. Huffman said that at the very least, the issue will likely not be determined before June 30, which is when lawmakers break for the summer. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
12-03-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
State withholds $10.8M of recreational marijuana tax revenue from cities
CLEVELAND (WJW) – A hazy cloud surrounds the distribution of tax revenue generated from recreational marijuana sales in Ohio. The state plans to hold onto more than $10.8 million, funds due to municipalities, according to recreational marijuana law. The funds are more than likely not coming due to a legal language issue left out of Issue 2, according to the office of Governor Mike DeWine. 'Issue 2 as passed did not appropriate any funds to cities,' press secretary Dan Tierney said via email. 'We understand the frustration of being told this by those who drafted Issue 2 and coming to find out Issue 2 did not contain appropriations of funds the drafters promised any government entity.' Local community college announces faculty layoffs, program slashing Cannabis is taxed at 10% in Ohio and 36% of tax revenue generated goes to municipalities who opted-in, allowing dispensaries under the framework of Issue 2. Since it was legalized, more than $30 million in tax revenue has been generated through February, which means $10.8 million should be going to municipalities. The city of Cleveland believes it should receive $410,000 for 2024, using rough estimates based on the six dispensaries in the city. There are 128 dispensaries across Ohio. DeWine aims to re-appropriate this tax revenue in the Fiscal Year 2026 Operating Budget, redirecting it to combat the ills of drug use. 'The governor's proposal uses these funds to help improve local jails, fund the 988 behavioral health crisis hotline, provide law enforcement training and other priorities,' Tierney said. 'The state funding these priorities will free up local funds for other purposes and local priorities.' Many municipalities planned to include these funds in their city budgets. 'The state is talking about changing the rules in the middle of the game,' Ohio Municipal League Director Kent Scarrett said. The Ohio Municipal League is an organization representing 732 of close to 900 cities and villages in Ohio. Scarrett said many municipalities would not have added the dispensaries if they weren't going to get a fair share of the tax revenue generated. 'I think that there's some cross current activity in the legislature that wants to undermine the whole system,' Scarrett said. USDA halts more than $1B in funding for local food banks, schools DeWine also proposes raising the tax rate from 10 to 20%. 'This legislature really isn't really fond on increasing taxes unless they want to discourage an activity in the state,' Scarrett said. The Ohio Senate and House plan to make changes to adult use cannabis law through Senate Bill 56. Many people who spoke to FOX 8 off camera told us they oppose these changes, which undermine the will of the people who strongly voted for the framework of Issue 2. The city of Lakewood said it is unsure if it will receive any tax revenue from recreational marijuana sales and are awaiting the state legislature's decisions in the budget. On March 3, Lakewood City Council and the mayor passed a resolution opposing the effort to repeal the Host Community Cannabis Fund. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
